My Only One
by koichii
Summary: A recurring dream. A best-selling novel. One story. And it's about the Dark Ones AKA vampires. They dedicate their eternity in searching for their Beloved, the one who would save them from the darkness. But what if others try to steal them away? Something wicked this way comes! XD
1. Who Are You?

**A/N: **Still in the process of finishing the next chapter of **Our Funny Little World **so before my computer starts acting up again, I've decided to post this here. Well, I only have two chapters of it yet plus the plot isn't fully-cooked yet so there might be changes in the future. I just felt the need to put it here though before it disappears suddenly from my comp. XD

This is a vampire au. AkaKuro of course. A book I've read once gave me the idea of this fic. I forgot its name tho but I clearly remember the lead male's name (of course lol) - Christian Johann Dante. Anybody familiar with him?

*** **After posting this tho I might be in another one week hiatus since I still have to move on from **The Maze Runner.** Yes, I'm bloody stuck in the fandom and had been writing imagines and what-nots about it. Who watches/reads TMR here? ^^

Warning: Characters might be OOC but not too much.

Disclaimer: Photo used not mine. KnB not mine, too.

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><p><strong>MY ONLY ONE<strong>

_"The only hope for me is you alone."_

**Chapter One: Who Are You?**

**Kuroko PoV**

_"Hah, hah..." I panted as I looked back to where I came from but all I could see were the trees that looked like as if they wanted to eat me alive. I swallowed thickly as I tried so hard to steady my breathing. Damn, I should have listened to my stepbrother when he told me I should work on improving my stamina. I let my gaze wander around once more when I slowed down to a stop. These huge-ass trees were towering over me, reminding me of those freaky man-eating giants on my favourite anime. The only difference was that they don't move and they don't eat people. Well, I hope so. Taking a deep breath, I continued walking forward, hoping to see a way back to where I came from but the path never changed. It was the same path surrounded by moss-covered trees. It was as if I was trapped in this place._

_-CRACK!_

_I swiftly spun around when I heard the snapping of twigs under something or someone's foot. Warily, I checked my surroundings but found no one else but me. There weren't even animals which made the place more eerie, making my senses go haywire. I know someone's out there but I just couldn't see it or them. "Hello? Who's there?" I asked, my usually monotonous voice laced with wariness and fear and I didn't need a mirror to know that my expression's the same as well._

_It was silent for a few seconds before 'it' came. The 'it' was a dark-hooded figure slithering towards me. It was like the hooded figure of Lord Voldemort drinking unicorn's blood in the Forbidden Forest or those Ringwraiths in Lord of the Rings and I so wanted to run but couldn't. I was totally paralysed with fear I couldn't even find my voice. All I could do was stand there and watch the slithering creature close the gap between us in absolute horror._

_"Tetsuya, come to me. Come to me, love. I will protect you," a deep, male voice suddenly whispered in my ear, the husky voice sending delicious shivers down my spine._

_Surprised, I swiftly turned my head and saw the most gorgeous man that I've ever seen in the whole twenty-one years of my dull life. I stared intently at him, totally forgetting about the slithering dark-hooded figure closing in on me. I just stayed there, drowning into his mismatched eyes of crimson red and liquid gold._

_He smiled as he extended his hand, as if to reach me. "Trust me," he whispered, his voice sending waves of comfort and pleasure in me._

_My feet began to move forward without me realising it. It was only when our fingertips were almost touching that I realised what I've done. He smiled once more at me, as if encouraging me to take his hand but before I could even move, the momentarily-forgotten dark figure lunged at me. I screamed._

**End of Kuroko's PoV**

-BEEP! BEEP!

"Huh!" a young male with light blue hair gasped as his equally light blue eyes flew open. Looking around the familiar image of his bedroom, he heaved a sigh of relief when he confirmed that he's somewhere safe and familiar. "That dream again," he murmured as he got the noisy gadget to stop it. "I wonder why I've been dreaming about that lately," he mused as he got up and went to the bathroom to prepare for the day.

Exactly ten minutes later, he was headed downstairs where he saw his one and only stepbrother and his lover in the living room. His stepbrother was holding a frying pan on his left hand which was, no doubt, his lucky item for the day. Why his brother believes in horoscopes, amidst him being a disciple of hard science, was far from the bluenette's comprehension. "Good morning," he greeted when he got closer, totally surprising the two occupants of the living room.

"Good morning, Kuroko," his green-haired stepbrother, Midorima Shintaro, greeted back when he recovered from the surprise. He was the only son of the Midorima household and a doctor like his father. He calls Kuroko with his surname because he refused to be close to him though the bluenette and the green-head's lover knew he was just being a great tsundere. Everybody knew how protective Midorima is of Kuroko.

"Good morning, Tetsu-chan!" Shintaro's lover, Kazunari Takao, greeted back cheerfully. He was the exact opposite of Shintaro who was always serious. Takao was a small, black-haired male who's very friendly. "How's your sleep?" he asked.

Kuroko shrugged as he remembered his dream. "Fine, I guess," he replied. "I'm bored," he added. At the age of twenty-one, he's already working as a pre-school teacher. He was just currently on a two-week vacation because of Shintaro and Takao's wedding that was held several days ago. The green-haired male have told him to not show up anymore if he wasn't going to attend the wedding so the bluenette immediately used all of the vacation leaves he wasn't able to use for the whole year just so he could be present on his precious stepbrother's most special day.

Takao chuckled while Shintaro grunted. "That's because you're such a workaholic, Tetsu-chan. I suggest you rest for the whole two weeks so you'll have more than enough energy to spend when you get back to work," the raven said. "Why don't you have your breakfast now?"

Kuroko nodded. "How about you two?" he asked.

"Oh, we're finished, Tetsu-chan," Takao said, a mischievous smile on his face as he spared a glance at Shintaro who began to blush furiously. "It was _really_ good, right, Shin-chan?" he purred.

"Shut up, Kazunari," the green-haired male snapped as he tried to compose himself but failed because of the huge blush he was sporting.

Kuroko let out a snicker, making Shintaro glare at him and Takao to laugh out loud. The bluenette shook his head and raised both of his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, I'll have my breakfast now. See you both later then. I have to go to school to get some paperworks done. I might be home late."

"Seriously, Kuroko/Tetsu-chan?" Kuroko heard Shintaro and Takao asked together but he ignored the two and just kept walking until he was out of their sight. Good thing they didn't stop him. He was actually getting bored with nothing else to do so he decided to finish the papers piling atop his desk at the faculty office.

Immediately after breakfast, Kuroko left. Since it wasn't sunny, he decided to walk albeit the school was an hour away. You see, the bluenette doesn't fancy the sun and he preferred the cold, rainy weather instead. And seeing that the weather was a bit chilly, he decided that a walk was in order. He didn't mind the distance for he knew a shortcut that would make him arrive at the school in thirty minutes tops -the hiking trail on the forest just a few blocks away from their house.

He was walking for a good five minutes on the forest trail when the temperature suddenly dropped, forcing a shiver out of the thin-clothed bluenette. He stopped walking and looked around the deserted area, feeling panic slowly rising when he realised that he was at the very place he'd been in his recurring dream. The huge-ass trees that surrounded the trail were exactly the same. Swallowing the lump in his throat and forcing the fear back down, Kuroko turned around so he could head back to the main road.

He was walking for another five minutes when he realised that he was always coming back to that same place. His throat went dry and he could feel the panic doubling in his chest. _No, this isn't happening, _he thought warily as he looked up at the sky that wasn't covered by the trees. It wasn't the same colour he had in his dream. The sky he was seeing now was of greyish-white, not a sky blue one.

Kuroko's attention was pulled away from the sky when he felt movements behind him. Hastily, but warily looking back, he called out, "Hello? Who's there?"

Then just like in his dream, a dark-hooded figure suddenly appeared before him. Instinctively, Kuroko took a step back, feeling his heart stop. _No, no! _Light blue orbs widened in fear when the hooded figure suddenly lunged at him. A scream escaped from his throat before everything went black.

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><p>"Un..." Kuroko groaned when he felt a hand softly caressing his cheek. The hand was cold but warm at the same time, making the bluenette sigh comfortably. With eyes still closed, he smiled. He could actually stay like this the whole day.<p>

He was quiet until he remembered the hooded figure.

"No!" he yelled as he immediately sat up. "Ow," the bluenette held his head when it began to pound, as if the Colossal and Armoured Titans were doing a tap dance in it.

"Careful," a strangely familiar, deep voice said which caused Kuroko to look up. Light blue eyes widened when he saw the same guy in his dreams, staring intently at him.

"You!" the bluenette exclaimed in shock. Is this what they call dream come true?

The red-haired male raised an eyebrow as he regarded the bluenette. That was when Kuroko realised that they were still in the forest trail. "You know me?" the redhead asked, his heterochromatic eyes probing the bluenette's baby blue ones.

"N-No," Kuroko stammered and suddenly felt ridiculous. How would he tell this guy that he dreamt of him every night? He would sound like a deranged person if he did. Or most probably a freaking creep. He sighed when the redhead scowled at him. "I mean, I dreamt of this many times before. This forest, that dark-hooded figure and..." he paused as he took a deep breath. "...you." Okay, now it's official. He's a bloody creep.

The redhead's jaw visibly clenched at that but Kuroko, who was busy scolding himself mentally, didn't notice it. "Perhaps you bumped your head," he murmured as he reached out and began feeling the back of the bluenette's head. "You're saying ridiculous things."

Kuroko felt himself blush, not because of the words the redhead let out but because of his touch that was making the bluenette queasy and giddy. It made him feel safe albeit he only just met the other guy. Was it because of the dream he's constantly having? But did he just call him ridiculous? "Excuse me," he said as he slapped the redhead's hand away from him. "I'm fine. And I know what I saw."

The redhead shook his head as he stood up. "And who would believe you?" he asked rhetorically as he offered his hand to the bluenette who was still down on the ground.

Kuroko glared at the redhead but nevertheless accepted his hand. He was then pulled up effortlessly. "Oh please. I couldn't care less if you don't believe me. I know what I saw but thanks for helping me anyway." Then with that, the bluenette began to walk away.

"And where are you going?" the redhead asked, slightly ticked. No one had the guts to blatantly talk back and disobey him except for the bluenette. His interest towards the boy increased but he was still annoyed.

Kuroko shrugged. "I'm going home," he replied in his usual monotone. He's going home to think all of it through. That is, if he could find his way home.

"I know the way out," the redhead said as if he'd known Kuroko's thoughts. The bluenette looked up at the redhead and stared at him in surprise. How did the other know what he was thinking?

The redhead, seeing the bluenette's expression, clenched his fist. "What?" he demanded but the tone of his voice didn't change one bit.

Kuroko shook his head as he began to think of anything else that wouldn't give his real thoughts away. Call him paranoid but he thinks that this red-haired guy could read his mind. "Nothing," he replied. "How did you find me here by the way?" he asked. Last time he remembered, he fainted at a secluded part of the forest trail.

The redhead shugged in a nonchalant manner as he began to walk with Kuroko following him. "I was taking a walk here when I saw you unconscious," was his simple reply, his tone indicating that he wouldn't say anything else anymore.

"Ah," Kuroko mumbled, his light blue eyes a bit narrowed. The redhead's answer was logical yet why does he got this feeling that he was being lied to? "That's my brother's house," he said when Midorima's house came into view. "Thanks again," he added as he bowed respectfully to the redhead.

The redhead just nodded then he turned around and walked away. In a matter of seconds, he was gone. Kuroko blinked his eyes furiously. Did that guy just vanish in thin air?

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><p>"Oh, I just love this book about the Dark Ones," Kuroko's best friend and co-teacher, Kise Ryota, said dreamily as he held a thick hardbound book against his chest.<p>

Without looking up from the papers he was grading, Kuroko replied, "Dark Ones? What's that?" he asked. When he noticed that it was almost seven in the evening, he began to file the papers neatly to be placed back on his drawer.

The blond made a face at the bluenette's question. "You don't know this book written by Akashi Seijuurou, Kurokocchi?!" he asked incredulously. "To think that you're a bookworm," he added as an afterthought.

Kuroko filed all of the papers in a long folder. "I'm not into fantasy, Kise-kun."

Kise pouted. "But still you must have heard of this series, right? This is probably the most famous book today! You should read this, it's too realistic."

The bluenette couldn't help but smile at that. He and Kise had been best friends for almost a decade already and he knew the blond like he knew the back of his own hand. He knew that despite his pretty boy looks making others think of him as shallow, Kise wasn't like that. In fact, he's one of the few people that Kuroko could talk something sensible with. Kise just wanted to act dumb because for the sole reason that he enjoyed it. "I don't have time to read right now, Kise-kun. Why don't you tell me the story instead?" he suggested, knowing all too well that the blond would love to talk about it more.

As predicted, Kise immediately brightened up. "Sure!" he said with a giggle. "This is a book about the Dark Ones or more popularly known as vampires. In this book, a Dark One is in search of his Beloved. That is, in layman's term, his soulmate. This Beloved is the only one who can redeem the Dark One's soul from being corrupted and in the process, save his life."

Kuroko nodded as he stood up and began to arrange his bag. "Ah, purely fictional."

Kise pouted again at the comment. "Whatever, Kurokocchi. It's great," he defended which made the bluenette grin. "Oh well, I have to go now. My manager's probably going to kill me if I show up late again." Aside from being a kindergarten teacher, Kise was also a part-time model. "I wonder when I would find my Dark One," he said dreamily. Yes, Kise Ryota is gay.

"In your dreams?" Kuroko offered which made Kise stuck his tongue out to him in a childish manner before leaving. The bluenette chuckled in amusement then he suddenly scowled. Something was trying to penetrate his head, he could actually feel the pressure being forced upon him, making his head ache a bit. Then he went stiff when he heard the faint echo of a voice -a hauntingly familiar voice.

_Trust me, Tetsuya._

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><p>After locking the faculty office since he was the last one to leave, Kuroko began to walk out of the building. The whole lobby was deserted which made him think that the night guard must be doing his usual rounds already. He mentally recalled what Midorima told him to buy at the grocery as he headed to the stairs but halted immediately when he felt something different.<p>

The air was becoming thick, making it a little bit hard to breathe. Kuroko shifted uncomfortably as he went on walking towards the stairs. He didn't know why but he felt the urgency to leave the place swiftly. The air was becoming thicker and he felt as if a hand was on his neck, strangling him.

He stiffened when he felt a hand, an actual hand, around his neck. "Calm down, Tetsuya," a familiar deep voice whispered in his ear, soothing the bluenette. The hand loosened its hold on his neck and began to softly caress his nape. He could tell that whoever it was, was trying to stop him from panicking amidst the thickening air. It proved to be working though he could hear a voice in his head.

_Come to me, Kuroko Tetsuya. Bind yourself to me. I need you. Come._

"Damn," the bluenette heard that someone curse behind him. Could he possibly hear the voice, too? Kuroko was totally confused. What in the world was going on? Then he gasped when he felt the air completely vanish and he couldn't breathe. Then he fainted.

A few moments passed and Kuroko opened his eyes only to see himself sitting on the floor with his back pressed against the wall and snuggled comfortably into the same red-haired guy he met that morning. "W-What... What was that?" he asked, voice hoarse and weak.

The redhead didn't answer him. Instead, he ran his hand onto the messy light blue hair while his free hand pulled the bluenette closer to his chest. Kuroko didn't object. He just let himself melt against the redhead, feeling his worries completely evaporate. "How are you feeling?" the redhead asked instead of answering the question thrown at him.

"I'm fine," Kuroko mumbled. "Though I'm exhausted and I don't know why. I feel like I couldn't even move my fingers," he complained. The bluenette felt that almost all of his energy was drained from him.

The redhead gritted his teeth as he tightened his arms around Kuroko. He smiled softly when the bluenette slightly looked up at him. "He sucked most of your energy out. Just as I thought, he wanted you. I shouldn't have left you alone, Tetsuya," he murmured as his mismatched eyes stared deeply into blank teal ones.

Kuroko got confused at what the redhead told him. "What are you-" he wasn't able to finish what he was saying though because the redhead suddenly sealed his mouth with his own. The bluenette was surprised at first and didn't know what to do. It wasn't his first kiss but it was a hell lot of different from all of the kisses he's had. As he parted his lips to accommodate the other's probing tongue, he suddenly felt a boost of warmth flowing from the redhead to him. If he didn't know better, he'd say that the other was giving him a portion of his own energy.

They were both breathing heavily when they parted a few moments later. "How are you feeling now?" the redhead asked as he leaned his forehead against Kuroko's.

The bluenette stared back into eyes of crimson red and liquid gold. He could clearly see the vulnerability embedded in them. Was the redhead affected with their kiss, too? "I'm alright. Thanks," he murmured, not really knowing why he was thanking the other guy. He never felt so intimate with a stranger before. Though if he thought about it, the redhead wasn't really a total stranger to him. In fact, it was as if he knew the redhead. He just have to remember where he'd seen him aside from the forest trail that morning and from his dream.

It was as if he'd known him his entire life.

The redhead smiled as he pulled the bluenette back to his chest and stood up swiftly. Kuroko got surprised and embarrassed when he realised that the other was carrying him bridal style. _Where is he taking me? And what does he mean by 'him'? What's happening? And most of all, who is he? _the bluenette thought warily when he realised that he didn't even know the redhead's name.

The redhead sighed as he went outside the school building. "You'll understand everything, Tetsuya. I swear to you I'm not an enemy. I'm on your side. Trust me," he said as the two of them blended into the darkness.

**Chapter One End**

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><p><strong>* <strong>Why do I feel like this is Twilight? Demn. Nooooooooo. Tell me what you think.

**And oh, to those who reviewed, favourited and followed **Bewitched**, thank you very much! I might make a sequel of it. ^^**

~koichii


	2. Dark Ones

**A/N: **I can't actually believe I got sick! Seems like too much espresso and aircon was bad. Bloody hell. Anyways, here's chapter 2 of My Only One. Finally, I'm almost (temporarily) over with my addiction to The Maze Runner so I'm slowly getting back to AkaKuro. I have 10 months to spare until the showing of The Scorch Trials. Teehee~

To those who reviewed chapter one **~ ChaosKnight005, kuroshiro 19, Guest, AK47reloaded, ShioriErz, Lily Fenton Phantom, Tainted5pirit, Scarlet Aki-chin, Korunakuroko, EclipseKuran, R3iga1004, mitsuyo-chan **& **Senji Ouki ~ **thank youuuu! :D

*** **The italicised yet bold words are Akashi and Kuroko talking in their minds (and no, I didn't get this from Thomas & Teresa lol).

Disclaimer: I don't own KnB.

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><p><strong>MY ONLY ONE<strong>

_"And I know you can see right through me__..."_

**Chapter Two: Dark Ones**

"Oh it's you, Aka-chin. Good thing you got Kuro-chin. Are you two alright?" a purple-haired giant, who was busy munching on a potato stick, asked the moment he opened the door and saw the redhead with a dazed Kuroko in his arms.

_Aka-chin? And why can he notice me so easily? _Kuroko mused as he observed the purple-haired giant with hazy eyes. At first look, one would think that he's scary and all but if you take a second, closer scrutiny, you would actually realise that he's just a big baby. _Since when did I begin to read people?_

The redhead nodded as he entered the huge manor and immediately proceeded to the grand staircase covered in soft carpet the colour of blood. "Don't worry, Atsushi. No harm came upon Tetsuya and me," he replied as he ascended the stairs, then headed to the last door on the left hallway, with the purple-haired giant named Atsushi following him.

Atsushi opened the door for the redhead as his arms were full of Kuroko as of the moment. The bluenette let his eyes wander around the red and black room that was three times as large as his own room in Shintaro's house. It was then he realised that they're in the redhead's own room.

"Tetsuya's just exhausted," the redhead continued as he crossed the huge room and approached the equally huge bed covered in red and black sheets. "He wasn't able to resist so they managed to almost drain his energy. Good thing I arrived on time." His expression darkened at the memory as he carefully tucked the bluenette onto the bed. He then let out a small smile at Kuroko when the latter looked up at him, confusion painted in his expression. "I'll explain everything to you later, Tetsuya. Take a rest for now, okay?" he gently added then he patted the bluenette's head when Kuroko nodded. _**Don't be afraid, I'll protect you with my life, Tetsuya.**_

Kuroko hastily looked up at the redhead again, eyes more confused than ever. Did this guy just spoke in his mind? He began to open his mouth but before any words could ever come out of it, the redhead's index finger was pressed against it, effectively shutting him up. "Later," the redhead murmured then with a final smile, he left the room with Atsushi.

Kuroko heaved a deep sigh the moment the door closed. _What's happening? What was that that tried to suffocate me a while ago? Did that redhead really speak in my mind? But most importantly, who is he? Why is he always there when something weird happens to me?_

The bluenette heard the redhead's sigh before that deep, husky voice rang in his mind, confirming Kuroko's suspicion about the mind-reading and communicating thing. That everything wasn't just a figment of his overly-active imagination. _I__** told you to rest, Tetsuya**_**,** the redhead scolded. _**I'll explain everything in the morning.**_

Kuroko sighed once more. So it seemed like the two of them does have some sort of a connection. But why wasn't he bothered about the fact that the redhead can get in his head? _**Promise? **_he asked, conversing with the redhead in his mind for the first time. He have no idea how he could talk to him in his mind so what he just did was imagine the words he wanted to say. And honestly, it was starting to make his head ache.

_**Promise, **_the serious voice replied.

_**What's your name? **_the bluenette asked. His name wasn't really Aka-chin, right?

The redhead chuckled softly, making Kuroko pout though he was sure the other couldn't see him. _**You're right, Tetsuya. My name's not Aka-chin. Atsushi just wanted to call me like that. My name's Akashi Seijuurou. Call me Sei.**_

And the name sounded familiar to Kuroko. _**Isn't Sei too intimate, Akashi-kun? I barely know you, **_the bluenette reasoned out though he didn't find the idea of calling the redhead with his nickname bothersome.

_**No buts, Tetsuya. I'm absolute so do it, **_Akashi commanded, voice getting suddenly serious yet a little bit sulking.

Kuroko wanted to roll his eyes but opted to roll on the bed instead. Is Akashi sulking? A small smile made its way on his lips when he imagined the redhead's expression. _**No, Akashi-kun. You have to earn it. Now get out of my head. Good night.**_

Akashi's amused laughter was the last thing Kuroko heard in his mind which made him smile again despite himself. _**If that's what you want then I have no other choice. I happen to like challenges so prepare yourself. Good night, Tetsuya.**_

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><p>The sun was already high up in the sky when Kuroko woke up the next day. He frowned a little as he roamed his gaze on the unfamiliar room he was in. <em>Where am I? <em>he mused before his baby blue eyes widened when he remembered what happened last night. After getting out of bed in lightning speed, he left the room to search for one Akashi Seijuurou. The guy promised him he'd explain everything today.

The bluenette heard voices coming from a certain room when he got downstairs so assuming that the redhead was there, he headed to that direction. He proved himself right when the moment he entered the room, he saw Akashi with the purple-haired giant who greeted them at the door last night and another guy with dark blue hair and tanned skin. His baby blue eyes widened for the second time that morning when he registered the two other people in the room casually conversing with the redhead as if they were long-time friends. "Shintaro-kun? Kazunari-kun?" he wondered out loudly, causing everybody except Akashi, to give a start. "What are you two doing here?"

Akashi smiled when he looked at the bluenette. "Good morning, Tetsuya," he greeted before either Shintaro or Takao could answer Kuroko.

"Good morning, Akashi-kun," the bluenette automatically replied, his eyes not leaving his stepbrother and his lover. "You still haven't answered me."

The green-haired male sighed as he adjusted his glasses. "Good thing you're safe, Kuroko," he said instead of answering the bluenette. "Thanks, Akashi," he added as he looked at the redhead who just nodded in return.

Kuroko got confused even more. "You know each other?" he asked. How did his stepbrother know the mysterious redhead? A small scowl appeared on his usual poker face when Shintaro nodded. "Would any of you care to explain? I obviously don't get it," he said, irritation now lacing his usually monotonous voice.

The tanned guy laughed, amusement written all over his expression. "Wow, he's got a temper huh," he said, making Kuroko stare at him. "You'll make an interesting pair, Akashi," he added as he looked mischievously at the redhead seated on the single couch.

Akashi just shrugged, seemingly too calm about the situation. Kuroko blushed slightly at the implication of the tanned teen's words. _Pair? What is he talking about? _he asked himself and he saw Akashi sigh at the corner of his eye.

Shintaro motioned for Kuroko to sit down which the bluenette did. "Okay, we'll explain it to you, Kuroko. What do you want to know?" he asked as he went back to his seat beside Takao.

"Everything," was the bluenette's reply, face as serious as ever.

Atsushi stood up before Shintaro could speak again. "You must be hungry, Kuro-chin. I'll get you something to eat. I have to get my snacks, too," he said before he disappeared into the kitchen.

Akashi crossed his arms and legs as he stared intently at Kuroko who began to get conscious of it. "Of course, Tetsuya. You'll know everything. But let us introduce ourselves to you again. I don't reckon we were properly introduced," the redhead said to which Kuroko nodded in agreement. "I'm Akashi Seijuurou. You know what to call me." A smirk formed in the redhead's lips when Kuroko blushed slightly while half-glaring at him.

Shintaro and the tanned male raised an eyebrow at Kuroko's reaction while Takao just grinned mischievously. "I'm Aomine Daiki," the tanned male said. "And this is Murasakibara Atsushi," he introduced the purple-haired giant who came back to the living room with a tray full of pancakes and orange juice for both him and Kuroko.

"Hi, Kuro-chin. You can call me anything you like," Atsushi said as he placed the tray on top of the coffee table and nudged a plate filled with three pancakes to Kuroko. "Eat your breakfast now."

"Say, Tetsu-chan," Takao began as he leaned forward. "Do you believe in vampires?"

Shintaro glared at his lover. "You're not supposed to ask him that!" he yelled to which Takao just laughed to. Akashi didn't react at that. He just went on staring at Kuroko, gauging his reaction while waiting for his answer.

Kuroko began to squirm under Akashi's intense stare so he looked down to his plate, subconsciously closing his mind from the redhead. Based on what happened last night, he knew that Akashi could actually enter his mind and converse with him in there. He wouldn't let the redhead do it as he please. Even if he's the sexiest man the bluenette ever laid his eyes on. "Vampires? Hn." He forked a small piece of pancake and began to eat. "My best friend talked about that yesterday. Though he was mentioning about the Dark Ones." He saw the others gave a start at the corners of his eyes. He looked at everyone one by one, his eyes lingering on Akashi. "Are you vampires?" he asked as his baby blue eyes fell upon his stepbrother.

Shintaro sighed as he adjusted his glasses. "I have to tell you something, Kuroko," he began. "Remember that time when there were weird guys following Kazunari and me around?" he asked to which Kuroko nodded as a reply. "They're Dark Ones or what humans popularly refer to as vampires. They found out what I really am. Then they found out about you and wanted you."

That caught Kuroko's attention. "Wanted me?" he asked, confusion in his expression and voice. "Why would they want me?" Why in the world would somebody be interested in an ordinary, boring boy like him?

"You have something they want, Tetsu-chan," Takao replied before Shintaro could answer the bluenette.

Kuroko looked more confused than enlightened before something hit him. "Wait, you know about Shintaro-kun being a Dark One?" he asked the petite raven. "Are you one of them, too?"

"Yes and no," Takao replied, a grin still intact on his face. "Yes, I know about Shin-chan being a Dark One and no, I'm not like him. But since I'm Shin-chan's Beloved, I sort of share some of his qualities, too."

Kuroko have tuned out Takao when the latter was in the middle of his statement. As it turned out, he's getting more questions than answers and it was really confusing him, making him a bit dizzy. It was like watching Game of Thrones or Shingeki no Kyojin where every episode poses more questions than explanations to things. And it was quite irritating when he thought about it. Closing his eyes, he placed a hand on his temple and massaged it a little bit.

"Here, Tetsuya," a deep voice said as a glass of orange juice appeared in Kuroko's line of sight. The bluenette looked up and saw Akashi staring at him intently, thus surprising him. When did the redhead get so close to him? He was used to shocking others with his presence not the other way around.

"Thanks," Kuroko mumbled before taking the glass from Akashi and took a huge gulp of the drink. He set the glass back down on the coffee table then he turned back to Takao. "Beloved? What's that supposed to mean?" He was pretty sure that Kise explained it to him yesterday what a Beloved was but he wasn't actually listening to the blond.

Everyone, except Kuroko, turned to look at Akashi who was now sitting beside the bluenette with his usual stoic expression. The redhead raised an eyebrow at them before giving out a full glare which had them looking away. He then turned to the bluenette who was now looking at him. "We'll get to that later, Tetsuya. You must know the basics first."

Shintaro nodded, relieved to have the awkwardness eliminated at least for a moment. "Yes, Akashi's right. You may be wondering if father's a Dark One, too. Yes, he is," he answered Kuroko's unspoken question.

Surprise flashed in Kuroko's baby blue eyes but it was gone too fast. How many surprises is he going to get today? "Father?" he repeated. Shintaro's father was nice to him but he didn't see him that much for the older Midorima was always traveling. But the fact that he was living with two vampires for two decades was something he couldn't wrap his head around with.

The green-haired male nodded. "Father have lived for almost a millennium already. As you have known, he had two wives. My mother and Aunt Layla. Aunt Layla's husband was Father's best friend. He was also a Dark One but he was killed while trying to evacuate you and Aunt Layla. You see, when you were born, there was something special in you, Kuroko, that have other forces wanting to covet it. Father promised to his best friend, your father, that he would protect you and Aunt Layla. And because my mother was already dead, he married Aunt Layla so he could fully protect the two of you."

"My father was a Dark One as well?" Kuroko parroted. "But how come I'm not a Dark One like you?"

Shintaro leaned back on his seat. "My mother wasn't Father's Beloved. Father, unfortunately, never found his Beloved up until now. On your case, Aunt Layla and your father were soulmates so you were spared from the curse. A Dark One is redeemed once he finds his Beloved. An unredeemed Dark One, the moment he has offsprings, all of the male ones will be like him," he explained.

Kuroko looked thoughtful for a moment. So he was normal because his parents were soulmates. Somehow, he felt a little sorry for Shintaro but decided to forget about it. The green-haired male would surely get pissed if he offered some sort of sympathy. "Hn. I think I remember now what a Beloved is. It's the soulmate of a Dark One, right? The one destined to redeem the Dark One's soul and balance his life and everything?" he asked, making a mental note to borrow the books Kise was yapping about yesterday.

"Yes. Have you been reading Aka-chin's book?" Atsushi, who stayed quiet up until now, asked while finishing his pancake. When Kuroko looked at him questioningly, he continued, "Akashi Seijuurou, Aka-chin." He pointed at the redhead while giving the bluenette a look that says it's obvious enough.

"Oh," Kuroko looked at Akashi and the redhead smirked at him. "So that's why your name's familiar. No, I haven't read your book. My friend just gave me a gist of it yesterday. He's a big fan," he said. Maybe he should get Akashi's signature for Kise later. The blond would surely be ecstatic.

"You should read that book," Aomine suggested. "You'll learn everything you want to know about the Dark Ones."

Kuroko didn't respond to that. Instead, he fired another question. "Wait, why are you telling all of these to me?" he asked. To Akashi, "and that hooded figure yesterday, it was real, right? It wasn't just my imagination?"

Shintaro looked at Akashi with a frown. "You haven't told us about it, Akashi," the green-haired male said, his tone accusing.

Akashi raised an eyebrow at Shintaro as if telling the latter "how dare you question me" before turning to Kuroko. "Yes, that wasn't an illusion. That was a Nihil. They're former Dark Ones who are now so lost that they're impossible to be redeemed."

"Dark Ones are considered lost and impossible to redeem when they kill their Beloved themselves or drink far too much human blood than a Dark One must consume," Aomine added.

Kuroko's eyes widened. Nihil? And if he took in Akashi and Aomine's explanations, they're sort of the bad type of vampires. "What do they want from me?" the bluenette asked, feeling suddenly wary. Supernatural beings wanting him?

He was just a normal male yesterday.

"The Nihil are the worst enemies of the Dark Ones," Shintaro spoke. "The hostility between us had been there ever since I can remember. Disagreement over what to do with humans was the primary reason why we don't see eye to eye. While Dark Ones wanted to coexist with humans, the Nihil wanted to dominate them. It had been the cause of wars in the past millennium with the Dark Ones always winning."

"I understand. But what does it have to do with me?" Kuroko asked. He didn't really get it. Why did they decide to tell all these to him now?

"The Dark Ones, just like humans, operates on a hierarchical system." It was Akashi again. "Our race used to be led by your father, Tetsuya." He paused, letting the information sink in on the bluenette's mind. "We lived a tedious but relatively safe life back then, with the Nihil kept at bay. Then he met your mother. It wasn't a problem for a redeemed Dark One actually gets stronger. Everything was fine until you were born. Apparently, Hiroshi and Layla discovered something special about you."

Something special about him? The only special thing about him that Kuroko could think of was his unnaturally low presence. "What is it?" he asked.

"We do not know," Shintaro replied with a shake of his head. "No one knows. Even father. Aunt Layla refused to tell him reasoning that she just wanted to keep you safe. Only your parents and the Dark One who gave the prophecy knew."

"And the Nihil wanted me because of that?" Kuroko asked.

"Yes," Aomine confirmed while Murasakibara, whose mouth was full with sweets, nodded beside him. "Though another factor was that you're a Pureblood." He scratched his head when the bluenette gave him a blank stare. "How do I explain it... Err, you're still a virgin?"

Kuroko, who wasn't in the least fazed, deadpanned. "..."

Takao snickered at that while Shintaro pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. Murasakibara couldn't care less while Akashi glared at the tanned male. "Seriously, Daiki?" he muttered coldly which had Aomine sweatdropping.

"What Aomine-kun meant, Tetsu-chan, was that a Pureblood's a Beloved who hasn't join with the Dark One yet. A Nihil wouldn't dare touch a Beloved who has already joined with a Dark one since they're well protected. A Pureblood would make them stronger if they would drink his or her blood. In your case, being a Pureblood made you extra extra special."

Kuroko wanted to groan and bang his head against the wall. Half of him was hoping that he was just in some sort of a dream and that he would wake up to Kise blabbering about his favourite book. He regretted complaining about his tedious life. This one was too complicated. "Okay, how do you know I'm a Dark One's Beloved?" he finally asked after silently going over the information he was given. "And who is this Dark One?"

Shintaro adjusted his glasses as Takao, Aomine and Atsushi looked uncomfortable. Akashi let out a deep sigh nevertheless his expression didn't waver. "Remember that flame marking on your collarbone?" Shintaro asked to which the bluenette nodded. "That's a symbol that you're a Beloved."

"I have one myself, Tetsu-chan. Look," Takao said as he showed his inner right wrist and Kuroko saw a marking as big as a penny. It was a single dark eye that seemed to be staring intently at him. "It's different for every Beloved. Your mark is identical to the Dark One who's supposed to be your soulmate."

Kuroko softly ran his index finger on his left collarbone where the marking was located. "Who's the Dark One?" he asked again and everybody fell silent, their eyes traveling to Akashi. The bluenette followed their gaze, his baby blue orbs widening though part of him knew that it was the redhead to whom he was destined to be bound to. "You."

"Yes, me," Akashi said as he turned to look at Kuroko. He looked amused when the bluenette paled. "You've exceeded my expectations, Tetsuya. Your reaction wasn't what I imagined."

"You expect me to run off, Akashi-kun?" Kuroko retorted.

"More or less."

"Then excuse me," Kuroko said as he swiftly stood up. "This is honestly too much for me to process and half of me still thinks I'm in a dream. I'm afraid I have to leave. Thanks for helping me last night though. And for the breakfast, Murasakibara-kun." He bowed to them then without waiting for a reply, briskly left the mansion.

"Are you just going to let him go that easily?" Aomine asked Akashi when the latter just remained seated, not even trying to stop the fleeing Kuroko.

A sly smirk crept up on Akashi's face giving the others the creeps. Akashi was normally scary but he's worse when smirking like this. "I'll give Tetsuya time to think. He needed to be fully prepared for what I planned for him."

"Now I'm even more worried for Tetsu-chan," Takao whispered to Shintaro who slightly nodded while adjusting his glasses. With the way things were progressing, Kuroko must be wary more of Akashi than with the actual enemy.

* * *

><p><strong>* <strong>Kuroko's mark was the Dauntless sigil while Takao's was the Erudite. I so like these two symbols that I'm getting a permanent tattoo of it next year. ^^

And have any of you joined NaNoWriMo? I have and it turned out to be an AkaKuro fic. Hihihihi. I hope I finish it on time. XD

~koichii


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